Vaseline Sea of Skin

Vaseline Sea is a celebration of the human skin, using choreographed naked human bodies in a television commercial shown around the world. The Sea of Skin spot begins with landscapes alongside close-ups of human skin. We’re finally introduced to the stars – a team of men and women without clothes, standing in a forest. As the voiceover extols the virtues of human skin, the actors huddle together on boats, bob up and down in a sea, raise arms to the sun, run through a night storm, embracing and unveiling eyes.

“Constantly regulating temperature, it changes colour to protect from ultraviolet rays. Containing more than 300 million cells, waterproof and yet absorbent when necessary. Killing most surface bacteria to protect from disease. Million of receptors rapidly sense its surroundings. Constantly growing, constantly replacing itself every month. When damaged it heals itself. Your skin is amazing. Keep it that way.” The tagline: “Vaseline – keeping skin amazing”.

Filming for Vaseline Sea was directed by Ivan Zacharias via Smuggler and Stink, with director of photography Jan Velicky, executive producers Brian Carmody and Patrick Milling Smith, and producer Nick Landon. The boats, forest and factory scenes were shot in Spain. The rest was filmed in Iceland with support from TrueNorth producer Árni Páll Hansson.

Post production was done at The Mill, London. Lead Inferno Artist: Barnsley and Flint assist Gareth Brannan had the task of beautifying hundreds of naked bodies to make them acceptable for broadcasting. Many body parts were painted out or covered up. Barnsley added some extra bodies to the crowd scenes. In the desert scene he tripled the number of people in the shot. The 3D team (3D producer Miles Petit, 3D artists Jamie Lancaster and David Knight) and flame artists created the factory setting, the modern church (hand raising), the lightning bolts and sky replacements. Senior colourist Seamus O’Kane graded the film in Spirit.